Circuit controller



Oct. 14. 1924. 1,511,502

F. A. CANTWELL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 22 1920 3 Sheets5heet l illllllllllllll 1M w/m 55s I INVENTOR 1 17A. CZntweZZ,

- .2.1 16 1:; wmniinl ATTORNEYS Oct. 14, 1924. 1,511,502

F. A. CANTWELL cmcun" CONTROLLER Filed Sept'. 22 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 v k V, 7 INVENTOR (znfwe z A TTORNEYS WITNESSES Oct. 14 1924. 1511502 F. A. CANTWELL CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Sept. 22. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ,0? 7 l Iii-r 5 57 (if I WITNESSES IVE/V70? W FA. CQnfwe-Z Z A T TORNE VS Patented Oct. 14, 1924.

FLOYD AUGUSTUS CANTWELL, OF IRVING, KANSAS.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Application filed September 22, 1920; Serial No. 412,080.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLOYD A. CANTWELL, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Irving, in the county of Marshall and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit Controllers, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates in general to circuitcontrollers, and more particularly to a circuit controller especially adapted to be associated with and operated by the mechanism'of a switch stand.

The object of the invention is to provide a circuit controller of this character which is incorporated in the circuits of the block signalling or similar system, and which opens or closes these circuits in accordance with the position of the mechanism of the switch stand and thus affords, at distant points, a proper indication of the condition of the switch controlled by the mechanism of the switch stand.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture and apply.

Other objects and advantages reside in the certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the invention associated with the switch stand;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view there Figure 3 is a perspective view of the circuit controller, the casing being broken away for the purpose of illustration;

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of a modified form of contact engaging ele ment;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View of the general type of circuits adapted to be controlled by one of the sets of contacts of the circuit controller;

Figure 6 is a similar view of the circuits controlled by the other set of contacts.

Referrin to the drawings, it will be seen that t e invention is associated with the mechanism of a switch stand or the like. The switch stand is preferably of the character forming the subject matter of my co-pending application Serial and includes a table 10' having spaced peripheral notches 11 and'12 A vertical shaft 13 is journaled in the table and is controlled by a switch lever 14 secured thereto. The outer end of the switch lever carries the drop or look arm 15 which is adapted to be swung into either the notch 11 or the'notoh 12. A target 16 is carried at the upper end of a sleeve 17 which, in turn, is carried by a spool 18 and a target lever' 19 co-acts with the spool 18 to control the target. When the switch lever 14 is moved to the extreme left and the lock arm 15 is swung into the notch 11 and the target lever 19 is superposed upon and interlocked with the switch lever and lock arm, the switch is locked set for main line and the target is in position to indicate Safety or Clear. In all other positions and at all times except when the switch is thus locked set for main line the target indicates Danger? The circuit controller is designated generally at 20 and is positioned on the table adjacent the notch 11, as clearly shown in plan in Figure l. The circuit controller consists of a casin 21 having a lower laterally extending ange 22 adapted to be secured, as at 23, to the table. The casing 21 is weather-proofed and insulated. A pair or set of upper contacts 24 is carried in the upper part of the casing adjacent one end thereof and a pair or set of lower contacts 25 is carried in the lower part of the casing at the same end. Each pair of contacts consists of two spring contacts 26 which are carried by a bracket 27 adjustably secured, as at 28 to the inner wall of the casing. Each of the spring contacts 26 is insulated from the bracket by means of insulation 28. These contacts are normally spaced so as to normally break or open the circuit in which they are incorporated.

Operating means is provided for the circuit controller and consists of an operating shaft 29 journaled, as at 30, in the side wall of the casingand also journaled Within the casing in a suitable bearing provided in the lug 31. The journal 30 is also provided with a conventional stufiing box or the like to render the casing entirely weather-proof. The inner end of the operating shaft 29 carries anoperating arm 32 which is fixed to the shaft and constrained to rotate therewith.

having one end it nut 33 is employed to retain the operating arm on the shaft, The outer end of the operating arm is enlarged. as indicated at 32 A contact engaging element 33 adapted to co operatc with the upper pair or set of contacts and a contact engaging element 3st adapted to co-operate with the lower pair or set of contacts 25 are each carried by the enlarged portion 32 of the operating arm. These contact engaging elements are identical in construction and they are each provided with an insulated tip 33 and 34, respec tively. The body of each contact engaging element is longitudinally slotted, as indicated at 33 and 84 and screws 33 and 34% extend through the slots or the respective elements and are seated in the underlying portion of the operating arm to provide for adjustment of each of the contact engaging elements and their retention in ad justed position.

Spring means is provided for biasing the operating shaft 29 prett'erably so as to throw the operating arm upwardly with the Contact engaging, element 38 maintaining the upper pair of contacts 2% closed or engaged, and with the contact engaging element 34 out of engagement with the lower pair or contacts 25 so as to leave the spring contacts of this latter pair open. This spring means consists of a blade spring seated in a slot 29 provided in the operating shaft 29 and having the other end resting upon a carrier 36 adjiistab ly secured to the interior of the sidewall of the casing by means of a longi tudinal slot 36 provided in the carrier and adjusting screws 36" operating through said slot. An adjustable abutment B? engages and bows the blade spring intermediate the operating shaft and the carrier, so that the blade spring is normally under tensioin tending to maintain the operating arm upwardly inclined, with the contact engaging element 38 engaging the spring contacts 26 of the upper pair 24-, as shown in Figure Acrank arm 38 is integral or otherwise connected with the operating shaft 29 and extends exterioriy of the casin as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The outer end of the crank arm carries a set screw 39 adjustable with respect to the crank arm. The set screw is adapted to be engaged by the lug 19 which is formed on and extends laterally of the target lever 19.

ris shown in the drawings, the parts are so positioned that when the target lever is swung in a clockwise direction so as to be superposed on the switch lever which has its lock arm resting in the notch 11 and the target lever is dropped into interlocking relation with the switch lever and lock arm, the lug 19 engages the set screw 39 and depresses it. This depression of the shatt against the tension of the blade spring The operating shaft is thus rotated in a clockwise direction and swings the operating arm 32 downwardly so that the contact engaging element 33 releases the contacts 26 of the upper pair 24: and the contact engaging element 34 engages the contacts 26 of the lower pair and moves them into engagement to close the circuit in which they are incorporated.

in lieu of the adjustable contacts 33 and 34- shown in Figure 3, a single double actl g contact engaging element may be provided, simply of a short rod lOadapted to be ad justahly positioned in the outer end of the operating arm 32 and to be secured in adjusted position by Ineansof the set screw all,

The circuit controller is adapted to be incorporated in the circuits of any standard or conventional block signalling or similar system and for this purpose each or the contacts 26 of both the upper pair 24: and the lower pair 25 is provided with a binding post 42 which is adapted to electrically connect each spring contact to a conductor 01" lead of its respective circuit. For the sake of illustration, the invention is diagrammatically shown in Figures 5 and 6 incorporated in an elementary type of signalling system.

In Figure 5 the contacts of the upper pair 24 are shown in their closed position, in which they are held by the contact engaging element at all times except when the switch is locked set for main line. At this time the circuit is completed from the source et' current 43 through the relay 44% to throw the movable contact e5 into engagement with the stationary contact 46 and thus complete the circuit from the source of current 48 through an electro-magnetic means 49 controlling the semaphore 50. The co'ntacts 26 or the pair 24: spring apart from each other when released by the contact engaging ele-ment when the mechanism of the switch stand is locked set for main lineand break the circuit through the relay 414C. The retractile coil spring 51 then acts upon the movable contact to throw the same out of engagement with the stationary contact s6 and break the circuit through the electromagnetic means e9 to allow the semaphore to drop to Clear or Safety In Figure 6 the contacts 26 of the lower pair 25 are shown spaced which is the po; sition they occupy when the mechanism of the switch stand is positioned otherwise than locked set for main line. At this time the circuit from the source of current 52 through the relay 53 is broken allowing the retractile coil spring 5% to throw the mov able contact 55 into engagement with the stationary contact 56 and thus complete the shown in Figure i, and consists circuit from the source of current 57 through the electro-magnetic means 58 to thereby throw the semaphore 59 to Danger. hen the contact engaging element presses the contacts 26 into engagement the circuit to the relay 53 is completed and the armature 55 is drawn by the relay out of engagement with the stationary contacts 56, thus breaking the circuit through the electromagnetic means 58 and permitting the semaphore to fall to Clear.

I claim:

1. In combination with the mechanism of the switch stand including a lever having a laterally extending lug, a circuit controller comprising an upper pair of normally spaced spring contacts, a lower pair of normally spaced spring contacts, and operating means for moving the contacts of either pair into engagement, consisting of an operating shaft, an operating arm carried on the inner end of the operating shaft, an adjustable contact engaging element for each pair of contacts carried by the outer end of said operating arm, spring means engaged with the operating shaft for biasing the contact engaging elements, and a crank arm connected with the operating shaft and engaged by the lug of the lever whereby the circuit controller is operated by the mecha-- nism of the switch stand.

2. In combination with the mechanism of a switch stand including a lever havin a laterally extending lug, a circuit contro ler comprising a pair of normally spaced spring contacts, and operating means for moving the contacts into engagement, consisting of an operating shaft, an operating arm carried by the shaft, an adjustable contact engaging element carried by the operating arm, spring means engaged with the operating shaft for biasing the contact engaging element, and a crank arm fixed to the operating shaft and adapted to be engaged by the lug of the lever of the switch stand mechanism.

3. A circuit controller comprising a casing, a pair of spring contacts therein and operating means for the spring contacts consisting of an operating shaft journaled in the casing and having a slot therein, an operating arm carried on the inner end of said operating shaft, an adjustable contact engaging element carried by the outer end of said operating arm, a blade spring carried by the casing and having one end seated in the slot of the shaft to bias the contact engaging elements, and a crank arm fixed to the operating shaft exteriorly of the casing and adapted to move the shaft against the action of said sprin FLOYD AUGUSTUS CANTWELL. 

